Songsmith School

May 16 & 17th, 2019 at Brevard Music Center

About Songsmith School

Interested in the art and craft of songwriting? Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned songwriter and would like the opportunity to be in a supportive environment for creativity, the Songsmith School is a great opportunity to learn and expand your creativity and songwriting. 

Songsmith School will be facilitated by two accomplished and awarded professional singer-songwriters and are artists performing at the festival both with a wealth of experience in instructing and facilitating songwriting workshops, schools and camps.

Sarah Siskind and Beth Wood will lead you in your quest as they help foster inspiration and encouragement for artistic expression in communities.

If you would would like to participate or want more information email info@mountainsongproductions.com

Mission Statement

Songsmith School is a retreat for those looking to celebrate, learn and be inspired by the art of songwriting, the power of creativity and the magic of community.

Songsmith School is an opportunity to get a close look into the creative processes of professional singer-songwriters while also meeting and collaborating with fellow writers of all levels. There will be multiple workshops, live performances by the instructors, casual song circles, a participant open mic and more, all in the beautiful lakeside setting of Brevard Music Center.

Instructors

Details & Schedule

Tools for Beginnings

A blank page can be intimidating and scary. But there are infinite stories to tell, and we will focus on tools for getting started. We will discuss how to reframe our thinking regarding writer’s block, and we will focus on interactive exercises to get those ideas flowing. Come ready to share and learn from each other. You will leave with new tools for your writing tool box!

Extreme Noticing

Extreme Noticing is a strategy for engaging with songs that will benefit your songwriting. Through stillness and hyper-focused listening, we can notice and learn from elements in a song that move us. We can then carry forth those elements into our own writing. We will listen to a few songs and see what we all notice and discuss our impressions. We will learn to identify what moves us so we can use what moves us in our own writing.

Beating Writer’s Block

This is a very interactive class where I walk students through several exercises that help beat writer’s block including “Pen to Paper” and “Chord Shuffle”.

Inspired by Life

In this class I discuss the role visuals (art, people, environment) play in my own writing and do exercises with the students using examples.

-Schedule (Subject to change)

Thursday, May 16

4:00 pm - Welcome -All Camp Gather with Beth & Sarah
5:00 pm - Instructor Intro / Beth & Sarah perform
6:30 pm - Dinner
7:30 pm - Song Circle

Friday, May 17

Workshops 
Co-writing
Free Time
Evening Performances

Detailed schedule coming soon.

What's Included

The Songsmith School is $350.

• A great creative and community experience while guided through your songwriting process.

• All meals starting Thursday with dinner and on Friday breakfast, lunch, dinner.

• General Admission Auditorium Ticket to the Festival on Saturday.

Accommodations

• Accommodations are not included and should be booked separately if needed.

• We recommend staying on the campus of Brevard Music Center to have the full Songsmith experience.

Lear more about Brevard Music Center.
Other Lodging Options.